Toward the end of last year's Minnesota Stars playoff run, the National Sports Center demolished the beer garden at the northeast corner of the NSC Stadium. The destruction of the beer garden, a wooden structure showing signs of age after 4 years of use, was done to make way for winter construction of a new Expo [.

Last fall IMS reported on the surprise demolition of the beer garden at the northwest corner of the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minn., home field for the Minnesota Stars. The beer garden had become a fixture at the stadium for Stars fans since it was built for the Thunder in the spring of [.

And when I say "New York", I mean New York State. And when I say "returns" I mean playing indoor soccer upstate. Which isn't totally bad because A) there is a good beer garden in Albany and B) he's not "upstate" which in NYC hood parlance means "he's in prison."

The NSC TV did a video preview this week of the Minnesota Stars vs. the Carolina RailHawks NASL semifinal home and away series. They also show the beer garden demolition and talk about the new structure that will stand in it's place.

Date: Wednesday Apr 27 2011
Ground: The Pavillions
Comp: NW Counties League Division One (step six)
Match: Runcorn Town 5 Wigan Robin Park 0 HT: 4-0
McShane 9, Kinsey 15, Carey 27, 33, Adegbenro 82

ATT: 80
Additional: Entrance £2.00, Programme £1.

Date: Wednesday Apr 27 2011
Ground: The Pavillions
Comp: NW Counties League Division One (step six)
Match: Runcorn Town 5 Wigan Robin Park 0 HT: 4-0
McShane 9, Kinsey 15, Carey 27, 33, Adegbenro 82

ATT: 80
Additional: Entrance £2.00, Programme £1.

This first trip down to Portland in the MLS era for a Cascadia Cup match between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders will be on familiar ground, but in some ways an unfamiliar stadium. JELD-WEN Field has some significant redesign to it, with some new stands and new experiences. For those fans that traveled down in the past it will both be similar and different.

The first of the two semifinals - U.S.-Panama - is still on-going as I write this, but CONCACAF officials have just announced that all 90,000 tickets have been sold at the Pasadena venue.

I'm guessing most of those buyers are not expecting a Panama-Honduras final, although the U.S. is currently tied 0-0 with about 25 minutes to go in the second half with the Central American nation it lost to earlier in the tournament.

After last night's Minnesota Stars victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders, assistant coach Carl Craig brought his team over to the Stars supporters (Dark Clouds) to thank the fast-growing supporters section by singing them a song. Craig, who grew up a Geordie supporting his beloved Newcastle United, is well versed in supporters songs and evidently he's been teaching a few of them to his team.

The Minnesota Stars press release couldn't have said it any better:

Chants of "You'll never beat Joe Warren" will no longer pour from the stands and beer garden at the National Sports Center Stadium. NSC Minnesota Stars goalkeeper Joe Warren announced his retirement Thursday after 13 seasons of professional soccer in his native Minnesota.